Illinois Partners for Human Service to Launch “Living Wages, Thriving Communities” Campaign to Advocate for Fair Pay (Chicago, IL) – Illinois Partners for Human Service (Illinois Partners) has officially launched the Living Wages, Thriving Communities website to bring attention to the urgent need for human service workers to earn livable wages: LivingWageIL.org.
On Wednesday, February 26, at noon, advocates, community leaders, and frontline workers will gather in the rotunda of the Capitol Building in Springfield, Illinois, for a pivotal rally and press conference to launch the campaign demanding fair pay and sustainable funding for the human service sector. The legislative asks for the campaign include:
- No cuts to Human Services in the FY26 State Budget
- Support of the Living Wages, Thriving Communities Resolution
- Investment in the Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program
- Support of the Human Service Equitable Pay Act
State legislators will join in solidarity, amplifying the voices of frontline workers who have long sacrificed to serve their communities without equitable compensation.
“The human service workers who dedicate their lives to providing essential services deserve more than just our gratitude – they deserve fair wages that reflect their invaluable contributions. The state budget must include funding to ensure that human service workers in Illinois receive the pay they need to support their families and communities,” said State Representative Dagmara Avelar (IL-85), Romeoville, who also serves as the co-sponsor of the organization’s Living Wages, Thriving Communities Resolution.
Lauren Wright, Executive Director of Illinois Partners, underscores the necessity of addressing the chronic underfunding of state contracts that directly impacts the human services workforce, especially given uncertainty at the federal level: “For too long, our frontline human service workers have been underpaid and undervalued. This chronic underfunding has led to burnout, high turnover, and instability in our sector. Now more than ever, it’s critical for Illinois to take bold action to invest in the people who take care of our communities every day.”
Dara Munson, CEO of Family Focus, based in Chicago said “Our team members are not faceless individuals; they are dedicated members of the communities they serve. It’s imperative that Illinois state contracts pay fair wages, so that human service employees, their families, and their communities can thrive.
About Living Wages, Thriving Communities
The Living Wages, Thriving Communities campaign is dedicated to ensuring fair wages and increased state funding for the human services workforce in Illinois. By engaging frontline workers, human service organizations, coalition partners, legislators, and the public, this initiative is pushing for responsible investment in the well-being of all Illinoisans. The Living Wages, Thriving Communities campaign is committed to securing wages that allow human service workers to not just survive, but thrive. The initiative aims to address pay inequity and push for Fair Pay Now, confront systemic racism and sexism in wage disparities, and advocate for increased state funding for human services.
About Illinois Partners for Human Service
Illinois Partners represents more than 850 organizations across the state, providing critical services including early childhood programs, after-school mentorship and safe spaces, job training and workforce development, support for older adults, resources for individuals with physical and mental disabilities, and advocacy for fundamental needs. Illinois Partners’ coalition includes organizations like Ada S. McKinley, Instituto del Progreso Latino, Thresholds, Access Living, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and more.
For more information, visit: LivingWageIL.org.
Illinois Partners for Human Service to Launch “Living Wages, Thriving Communities” Campaign to Advocate for Fair Pay
